The problem of acknowledging Internet as a global distribution channel

Aaargh!!! It never ceases to amaze me how certain companies refuse to acknowledge the wonder of the global distribution channel called Internet. Instead companies are clinging on to the idea of old geographically fragmented and costly distribution models where you would have to establish agreements in each country or region with wholesalers or retailers, you would have to have a lot of logistics in place to ship your products around the world... Sure, I could understand that certain products were only available in certain parts of the world back in those days, or that they had different launch dates in different parts of the world.

But downloadable software..."not available in your country"...really? I can't believe a company like Microsoft, who likes to think of themselves as innovators (of course in reality they're quite the opposite, but that's another discussion...), just recently opened up for European users to download and install their free security software Security Essentials, six months after making the same piece of software available for the Americans! That's just so 1990's.